The Alliance
by Animorphgirl
Summary: The Animorphs save Aftran...and Tom. Takes place during "The Sickness". Onto chapter FIVE!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: A huge thank you to YPM-33-KI for beta reading, and just letting me pick his brain for information while I worked on this.

Her words echoed in my head.

Aftran wanted me to kill her.

To save her from Kandrona starvation.

But in spite of her request, I couldn't believe that the only options available to Aftran were death at my hands immediately, or a slow painful death by Kandrona starvation in three days.

(How much time do you have before hunger sets in?) I asked her.

I could feel her hesitation before she responded. (Yeerks can live for seventy-two hours without the Kandrona, but the initial hunger sets in earlier. Around sixty hours. That's when we usually try to feed. At sixty-five hours...it changes from normal hunger to painful hunger.)

(You were feeding up until I rescued you from the Pool, right? Visser Three couldn't limit how much of the Kandrona rays you could take in, as long as you were actually in the Yeerk Pool?)

(That's right, Cassie,) Aftran confirmed. (It's been less than two hours since I've fed.)

(Then we have about fifty-eight until you would need to feed.) I spoke with determination. (Look, the rest of the Animorphs are sick, but maybe we can get together for a meeting before then. Figure out a way to save you. If not...) I didn't finish my sentence.

She sighed. (You're impossible, Cassie. But you're right. There's no harm in waiting for a day before making a decision.)

(And you'll stay in my head until then,) I commanded. (If you're going to die in a couple of days no matter what I do, then you should have access to my senses while you can still enjoy it.)

I could feel her gratitude. (Thank you, Cassie. Oh, don't worry-I won't take control of your body, I promise.)

I couldn't deny that was reassuring to hear. The last time Aftran had been in my head, she had taken control. Of course, by putting her in my head, I had basically given consent to this. Still. While the knowledge that my body would be my own even when I had her in my head wasn't exactly unwelcome, I wanted her to know that she could have some control while she was there.

(You can have some control,) I told her, quietly.

I felt her surprise. (I won't abuse it,) she promised.

We were both quiet for a little while. I could feel Aftran's amazement at experiencing my human senses again.

(It's especially wonderful to _see_ again,) she told me. (I hadn't forgotten what it was like. But memory is nothing like experience.)

I sighed, wondering if the whole deal had been a mistake. Or at least, if we could have done it another way. (Maybe what I asked from you was too much. Mr. Tidwell and Illim seem to get along well enough, and he started out involuntary,) I began.

(Your teacher is an adult man, not a seven year old girl,) Aftran interjected. (No. Karen didn't want me in her head. Not after having been taken like she was. And after letting her go, I couldn't have asked for another host without giving myself away. Or you and your friends. It was a necessary sacrifice to make. Besides, it showed other Yeerks that I was serious about peace.)

(It also nearly got you tortured and killed,) I pointed out.

And still might. Well, the killed part.

Aftran's determination showed in her reply. (The Yeerks of the Movement will believe that I died as a martyr to the cause, and as you humans know, that often increases its strength. Cassie, please don't feel sorry for me, or wish you hadn't asked me to do what you did. Remember, you were willing to do the same.) She paused. (Speaking of which...how in the world are you human? Was it the Ellimist?)

My memories of what had happened were available to her, but her promise not to take control of my body must have extended to her not invading my memory. Not intentionally, anyway. Yeerks can't help seeing what their host is thinking about.

I smiled. (Not _exactly_. Caterpillars have a natural morphing process. They turn into butterflies. According to Ax, when I emerged from the butterfly state, the two hour morphing clock reset itself. They found me, and I was able to demorph in time.)

(Oooh. We knew about caterpillars and butterflies, of course, but it didn't occur to me that the instinct to...) Aftran paused as she tried to think of the right word. (To change, I guess, would be there. Nor would we have guessed that changing into a butterfly would have reset the morphing clock.)

(I guess it was a loophole,) I told her. (But it didn't occur to me at the time.)

(You kept your end of the deal,) Aftran told me, firmly. (At the end of the two hours, I was telling you to demorph. But I guess with those senses, you couldn't hear me.)

I shook my head. (And you didn't have the benefit of thoughtspeach.)

(No.) Relief shone in her emotions. (But I'm so glad that it turned out all right.)

(Me too.)

(You know,) she mused. (Our "cousins", as it were, the Skrit Na, do something similar. The Skrit and the Na are two different species. It's part of the reason they're impossible to be used as hosts. They call it "phasing", though.)

I'd already known about this, which Aftran had to know. But, I guessed, she wanted to keep talking to me. Take her mind off of what felt like the inevitable. In a way, she was back to living in paradise-living in my body-but we both knew that without access to Kandrona rays, it was only temporary.

(It's pretty common among other earth species, too. Plus, there are so many living in the deep ocean that we don't know anything about. It probably takes place there, as well.)

(As though your planet isn't strange enough!) she mused.

I spent the rest of the day engaged in regular farm girl chores, plus taking time to check on Ax. He seemed to be doing better when I checked in on him every so often, but hadn't quite forgiven me for putting Aftran in his head. I could feel her tense in my head when we went to look on him, but she didn't object. I didn't think Ax would actually kill her, but he already disliked her simply for being a Yeerk, and Aftran being in his head-however necessary it was-must have felt like the ultimate invasion.

The next day, everyone was feeling well enough to hold a brief meeting. Aftran was, of course, still in my head when they arrived at the barn and, to my surprise, I realized that I was enjoying having her there.

Not just only did her having me as a host mean that she had access to all of my senses, which made her very happy, I was quickly finding out that Aftran was also good company. The previous night, I had gotten my homework done, with her help, far faster than I would have normally, and with her explanations, felt like I understood the material better than I would have on my own. Her comments to me were kind, often funny, and insightful. If you added in the fact that she didn't search my mind or take over my body, I realized that I would have been happy for this arrangement to continue indefinitely.

While I had offered to be Aftran's host twice-once, to save Karen, and once, to save her from Kandrona starvation-but for the first time, I was just beginning to see what life would be like for me if I stayed her host. It wouldn't mean enslavement to an evil slug set to destroy my family, my planet, and life as I knew it. At least, not for someone who had a Yeerk like Aftran inside them. Probably not for the hosts within in the Peace Movement.

Even for Yeerks who were decent but still loyal to the empire, I could understand why some people chose to become voluntary Controllers.

Sort of. The giving over your life to an alien whose species was set on invading your planet still didn't make sense to me, no matter how bad you thought your life was.

Still, if your Yeerk was decent, and maybe you didn't have close family to worry about...

It was something to consider.

Later.

Right now, with my friends here, we had to find a solution to the problem at hand. I glanced around the barn. Everyone seemed, if not exactly ready for battle, at least healthy enough to function. To my surprise, Erek had arrived with the rest of my friends.

"I thought this would be safest, in case your parents came by," Jake explained.

Erek could sort of emit holograms so that my friends could speak freely and no one would see or hear anything out of the usual. Not as long as they didn't disrupt the hologram.

I smiled at him. "Makes sense. How are you feeling?"

Jake shrugged. "Well enough for a meeting."

"Okay," I began, a little awkwardly. This had been my mission, but usually it was Jake who did the planning. "Well, I got Aftran out of the Yeerk Pool before Visser Three could interrogate her. That's the good news. The bad news is that..."

"The bad news is that she's going to die in three days without access to the Kandrona," said Marco, still looking a little pale, but blunt as ever.

I nodded. "I told her that she could stay in me, like she is right now." A few eyebrows went up, but a look from me prevented anyone from talking. "But she said it's way too dangerous."

"She's right," Rachel practically growled. "No way are you going back to that hell hole every three days. Not to mention what would happen if you were found out. If ALL of us were found out."

I raised a hand to silence her. "I know," I said, simply.

Yes, it was risky, but it was also a life at stake. I refused to dismiss it as an option. Well, at least, to myself.

I could tell Jake was sorting through the facts in his head. "Aftran only needs the Kandrona rays if she's in her Yeerk body, right?"

I checked with Aftran, who agreed with that. "Yes..."

"So, we can give her a new body. Let her pick an animal or something to morph and stay in. Permanently."

(Oooh,) Aftran murmured to me. (That's perfect!)

It sounded like the perfect solution. I would miss her, but at least she would be alive. I was about to voice our agreement when Erek, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up. "That's a good idea, Jake. But there are other options."

Marco and Rachel turned to him, confused. "Like what?"

Erek pointed to himself. "For one thing, I can produce Kandrona rays. I could visit Cassie every three days, or whatever length of time Aftran would need to feed without getting too hungry. Just put her in a glass of water, and I'll stand in front of her for a couple of hours."

Jake nodded as he considered this. "Okay, I can see that as an option...but I kind of prefer the nothlit idea. What about when Cassie has to go to battle? Aftran would have to stand by and watch as we killed her species. Besides, having to visit you every two or three days...wouldn't that be kind of a hassle? For you, as well."

Erek smiled his Chee smile. "That's true. I have a third option that I think you might prefer."

(What's that?) asked Tobias.

Erek glanced at me pointedly, and then at Jake. "Your brother."

"What about Tom?" I asked, a little defensively.

Freeing Tom had been a goal of Jake's since the beginning of the war. I knew this. But as his Yeerk advanced in his empire duties, it was beginning to feel impossible. There was no way to simply attack the pool or starve Tom's Yeerk and have Tom walk away free without drawing major suspicion on his family. Even the idea of him living in the valley with the free Hork-Bajir, though extremely difficult to locate, wasn't foolproof.

In any event, we'd have to find a way to fake his death. And as much as Jake wanted to free his brother, I think he knew it would hurt his family too much to attempt something like that.

"You could capture Tom, and when his Yeerk is hungry enough to negotiate, offer him myself as a host and then replace him with Aftran," Erek replied.

Jake stared at Erek, working it through in his head. "And then Aftran goes with Tom to the Yeerk Pool every three days...and pretends to be Tom's old Yeerk."

"Exactly."

Aftran gasped in my head. (That's ingenious!)


	2. Chapter 2

"That is insane." Marco, of course. "We don't even know if Tom's Yeerk is willing to negotiate. Remember his first one? The one who we had to starve out of Jake?"

Erek simply shook his head.

Realizing that we hadn't met Erek at that point, I explained. "That Yeerk wasn't willing to leave Jake's head. I guess he kept hoping he'd either be rescued or figure out a way out. He stayed until he died from Kandrona withdrawal."

"Yeah, but back then, we didn't have another 'host' available to use for negotiation," Rachel pointed out. "When Tom's slug gets hungry enough, he might agree. Even if he thought it was a trap."

"Death by Kandrona starvation is pretty bad," Jake agreed. "Yeerks would do almost anything to avoid it."

Still, it was a gamble.

"Would the Yeerks would notice if Tom's Yeerk skipped a feeding?" I wondered aloud.

Rachel nodded at my head. "What does Aftran say?"

(Depends on how high ranking the Yeerk is,) she told me. (It took me months to draw suspicion, but I think she should err on the side of caution with Tom."

I relayed Aftran's message to the others.

"I, or another Chee, could play Tom when it came time for his Yeerk to feed. If you needed time to talk him into accepting Aftran into his head," Erek offered. "That would prevent any suspicion from the Yeerks. Temporarily. Due to our passive nature and Tom's Yeerk's rather high ranking position, this would not work as a permanent solution."

Jake asked the other question I'd been wondering. "Can you make enough Kandrona rays to feed two Yeerks? Or fit them in your head?" Jake asked, and I remembered learning that Erek already had one inside of him. The image of the Yeerk, trapped but still alive, came up in my head. Probably summoned by Aftran.

(Sorry,) she told me, shuddering. (I didn't mean to...itt was on the edge of your thoughts.)

(It's okay,) I told her. Truth be told, I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of Tom's Yeerk being trapped in a wire cage inside of Erek. But... (It's not a pleasant fate, but it's better than death, right? For the other Yeerk, I mean.)

(I wouldn't complain if it was between that or death,) she told me, sincerely.

"-make enough Kandrona for a pool full of Yeerks," Erek was saying. "And I could physically separate the Yeerks in different sides of my head, to prevent easy communication between them."

"Cassie?" Jake turned to me. "What does Aftran think about this?"

It was clear that was the option he was most enthusiastic about. A nothlit Aftran would be practical, more so than her being in my head. I knew this instinctively, but I felt a little let down at the idea of saying goodbye to this intimacy that we shared in my mind. Maybe, this was selfish. I could only imagine Tom's state of mind, but even if he was the same Tom he'd been two years ago (extremely unlikely), he would benefit from her presence in his head far more than I could. Aftran would protect him from the Yeerks, and allow him some sense of a normal life. Aftran being in Tom's head would be far more practical. Safer for everyone. He might not be entirely free from the invasion or the war, but I knew that Aftran would be much kinder to him than his current Yeerk.

(I will,) she promised. (I'll let him have control whenever possible. I will only utilize his memories to the extent of playing the part of the other Yeerk. But Cassie, it has to be Tom's choice. I won't infest him against his will.)

I relayed this message to Jake, who nodded.

"It needs to be Tom's choice," he agreed, fervently.

"And if he says no?" Rachel wondered. "After being enslaved for two years, if not longer, he might not agree to it again. Even with a nice Yeerk."

I had a feeling that it was only Aftran's presence in my head that prevented her from using quotes over the word "nice".

(If Tom says no, he can live with the free Hork-Bajir, right?) Tobias asked. (I know...that has its own problems, and we'd probably have to fake his death or disappearance, at least, but it's still there.)

"I can play Tom for a few days without drawing suspicion," Erek reminded us. "Perhaps a little longer. It may take that long for you to convey everything to him, after his Yeerk leaves his head."

Jake nodded. "Either way, we have to give Tom the choice." Jake was determined, I could tell. "Even if he makes the one that's more difficult for us. If that happens...then I guess Aftran could either stay in Cassie, or go nothlit."

I wondered again about Tom's state of mind. Would Aftran be able to gather all the information she needed in order to play his Yeerk convincingly?

(I believe so,) she told me. (I don't know firsthand, but the information about Tom's Yeerk should be in his brain, regardless of his mental state.)

(We can ask Erek to fill in the gaps, too,) I replied. (He can search a Yeerk's memory.)

Another shudder from Aftran. (Well, it's no less than what we do to our hosts...) she mused.

"So, when are we going to abduct your brother's Yeerk?" Marco wanted to know.

Jake looked around the room. "The sooner, the better. How about Friday night? That gives everyone a chance to fully recover, plus a weekend to get Tom's Yeerk out of him. Aftran can stay in Cassie until then, and receive the Kandrona rays from Erek. If that's okay with Cassie?" I nodded. "We'll meet back here Friday night."

"Yeah, no sweat," Marco replied sardonically. "Just kidnap Tom in his sleep. Hold him hostage until the Yeerk either leaves Tom or agrees to live in Erek, and keep our parents and the Yeerks from suspecting anything. No big deal."

"If it comes down to Tom's Yeerk deciding to starve, I could make a trip to the Yeerk Pool to arrange a feeding in the meantime. I can also have my people play you during the time it takes to free Tom," Erek told us.

Jake nodded. "Thanks. That would help, especially if we get Tom's Yeerk at the beginning of his feeding cycle."

"It's only a couple of days. Not even three full ones. His slug will probably jump at the chance of a new host when he gets hungry enough," observed Rachel.

"Agreed. Hopefully, we won't need the Chee for more than a day or so," Jake agreed.

We made plans to meet again on Friday evening. Erek and I arranged to meet before then-twice- for Aftran to feed. We were nervous-but also excited. Not only had the problem of keeping Aftran alive been solved, the problem of freeing Tom was about to be.

Everything went smoothly when it was time for Aftran to feed for the first time since the Yeerk Pool. We asked Erek to stop by before the sixty hour mark, and he was prompt. Aftran left my head and I placed her in a container of water. Erek stood in front of her. I waited for something to happen, but nothing did.

"It's fine," he told me. "You won't see any difference, but she's feeding now."

"How can you tell?" I asked him.

He pointed to his own head. "Entrid five two three is feeding as well. I can hear his thoughts, remember?"

"Right." I did some of the chores around the barn, then finished my math and science homework. I glanced at my watch. Over two hours had passed. "She ready?"

Erek nodded. I removed Aftran from the water, and placed her to my ear. I could feel my ear tingle as she made her way inside.

A part of me was afraid that it hadn't worked, but as soon as she connected to my mind, she let out a sigh of happiness.

(I couldn't tell the difference,) she told me. (Those Pemalites were truly remarkable.)

I gave her a mental smile. (Welcome back.)

"I spoke to Jake earlier," Erek told me. "On Friday night, I will have some of us play you from tomorrow evening until you no longer need us to for this mission."

"Great. That makes things a little easier with guarding Tom's Yeerk."

"That was the intention," Erek explained, giving me his android smile. "Good luck. I will meet you at the shack tonight."

When school let out on Friday, knowing that it would be a long night, I took a long nap that afternoon. Had a normal dinner with my parents. I was nervous, the way I normally was before battle, but this felt so much more personal. Of course, it was. If everything went well, no one would die, and Tom would be free. If not technically free, as good as.

I was in my room, resting, when Tobias stopped by.

(Hey, Cassie? It's time,) he told us.

I was already dressed in my morphing outfit, so I morphed into osprey and followed Tobias to Jake's house. His bedroom window was open.

"This way," he told us. "Tom's already asleep."

"How do you know?"

Jake looked a little sheepish. "Sleeping pills. I put them in his snack earlier. Not too many, just enough for it to work. He was out cold within a half an hour."

I nodded. A comatose Tom was essential. But a Tom in need of the ER? That would wreck everything.

"My parents are asleep. If we move quietly, we can get him outside. Drag him to the old shed until he wakes up tomorrow. We'll take turns guarding him if he won't bargain with us."

"Where's Erek?" Rachel asked.

I jumped, not having seen her. Marco was standing next to her, waving slightly.

"In the shed already. He can't restrain Tom, but he'll stay there as an extra pair of eyes. Besides, he needs to be there until the Yeerk either dies or is ready for his new 'host'," Jake explained.

"And your parents?" I wondered.

"Some fancy dinner party," Jake explained. "I think they go every year. Raise money for some organization that does free surgeries abroad."

(Sounds like we lucked out,) Tobias observed.

"Tom actually thinks I'm at Marco's for the night," Jake told us. "I didn't want to run the risk of him deciding to try and take me down to get infested when it was just us."

Inside of my head, Aftran cringed. (It's something many Yeerks would attempt. The ambitious ones, at least.)

"So, what's the plan?" Marco asked.

Jake glanced around at us. "We all need to be available, in some capacity, around the clock for the next 72 hours. I don't know when Tom's Yeerk last fed, so we could be looking at a free Tom tomorrow, or not until late on Monday. Like Erek said, the ideal solution would be for us to get Tom's Yeerk into Erek's programming so that we can avoid having to have Erek impersonate Tom.

"So, when Tom wakes up, I want him to see me and Marco. Rachel, and Cassie will be available outside as backup."

(What about Tobias and me, Prince Jake?) Ax asked.

"You're going to take the second shift," Jake explained. "Cassie, I pretty much need you whenever you can be there available, to talk to Tom. The real Tom. Erek at all times, too." He paused. "Cassie, when did Aftran last feed?"

"Earlier this afternoon," I told Jake. "That's the second time she received the rays from Erek and not the Yeerk Pool. She said there's no difference."

"Great. I guess if Tom's Yeerk fed earlier today, Aftran might need to feed again before he's willing to leave. I'm hoping that's not the case."

Maybe we should have had Tobias stalk Tom's Yeerk during the last couple of days to see when, exactly, he fed. It could have made this less into a guessing game. But I wasn't going to say anything. I knew that Jake's main reason for fighting was to free his brother. He might have felt that day Tom remained a Controller was a mark against him. Now, with freedom (or life with Aftran) so close, he didn't want to wait any longer than absolutely necessary.

Things wrapped up with Marco declaring this insane, and then we all head to Tom's room, as quietly as possible, to place him in the shed where he'd be spending the next couple of days. At most.


	3. Chapter 3

I felt Aftran's intense concentration as she watched in my mind. She was nearly as nervous as the rest of us. No matter how many missions I went on, I never got used to the nerves. Not like Rachel, who somehow thrived on the adrenaline. Or Jake, who managed to stay our leader and issue orders in spite of just being a teenager, yet knowing that our lives and our freedom-not to mention that of our families-was always on the line.

This mission felt extra personal. We had everything to lose.

After all, if Tom's Yeerk escaped, somehow, or if the Yeerks suspected anything...well, it was all over. We had banked so much on pretending to be "Andalite Bandits". If the Yeerks found out we were just human kids who had been given the power to morph...I didn't want to think about what could happen as a result.

It now occurred to me that if Aftran hadn't been available to infest Tom, to pose as his old Yeerk, we probably wouldn't be doing this. It was too great of a risk. But this time, it was worth the risk. Because we actually stood a shot at freeing Tom and, at the same time, gaining a real connection with the Yeerk Peace Movement.

Mr. Tidwell had said that there were nearly a hundred members. Even if only twenty of them had hosts that were able to fight...we could still do some damage. Moreover, Tom's Yeerk would know more about Visser Three's plans than any of us, even Erek. Strategically speaking, it could be a winning move.

We continued to watch and wait.

Step one was transporting Tom into the shed without waking him up. Fortunately, the sleeping pills seemed to be doing their job. Jake and Marco lifted up a snoring Tom from his bed, and carried him downstairs. Tobias, in his hawk body, could do some damage if he woke up. Rachel, Ax, and I could all use our battle morphs if it came down to it.

But Tom remained out sleeping-and yes, snoring-as Jake and Marco carried him outside.

The shack wasn't far from their house, but we had to move slowly. Jake and Marco, because they were still carrying Tom, and the rest of us, of course, since we couldn't just morph and meet them there. We had to be ready as backup. Not that we'd be much help as humans. And a red-tailed hawk. The night was almost pitch black except for a handful of stars.

We all breathed a sigh of relief when the shack appeared. Still standing, way off in the middle of the woods. Even the chair was where we had left it. Jake and Marco set a still snoring Tom down, and if it weren't for the seriousness of the mission, the temptation to laugh might have been too much. Even Aftran, who could see the humor in the situation, was remained quiet in my head. Tense.

(Aftran, do you think we have a chance of pulling this off?) I asked her.

Partly to hear her voice. I'd never been a super chatty person, but I guess it's different when you have that close relationship with someone living in your head.

But I also wanted to know what she thought. She could see all of our missions in my memory. Which ones had gone well, which ones we had been lucky to emerge alive from. Maybe, she could see something that we were missing. If we hadn't done all of the calculations. Something that we'd later torture ourselves over.

I couldn't think of anything, but maybe Aftran would be able to.

(Honestly? I think you have more than just a chance,) she reassured me. (But, as you humans say, let's not count your chickens before they're hatched.)

We all tied Tom to the chair, tight enough for his arms and legs to be immobilized, but loose enough so that the ropes wouldn't cut off his circulation. I wondered if Tom's Yeerk was awake, aware of what was going on, but too drugged by sleep to be able to do anything about it.

Once that was taken care of, all we had to do was wait. I glanced at Jake, who nodded at me, Rachel, and Tobias.

"Stay here...but get some sleep," he told us.

"What about you two?" I asked.

Jake smiled at me. "I had a nap earlier. I'm good."

"Yeah, same here," Marco said, but I couldn't tell if he was serious or not.

The rest of us stretched out on the wooden floor. Hardly comfortable, but better than falling asleep standing up. At this point, I was so tired that I didn't care. I watched Tobias fly outside, probably to perch on a tree.

The next day, I was the first to wake up. Jake and Marco had fallen asleep after all, but Tom was still asleep on the chair. I nudged at Jake, knowing he'd be furious if Tom's Yeerk woke up before him and found a way to escape.

Not likely, with all of us there. Even if we couldn't have morphed, the number of us-plus Tom being tied up on a chair-would have detained him, if not prevented him.

Still.

Jake's eyes went wide as he realized what had happened. He let out a few choice words before saying, "We should have slept in shifts!"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, no harm done, right? We'll know for tonight."

He gave me a relieved smile. "I guess you're an early bird?"

"Farm girl," I corrected, with a grin. "There's always tons of early morning chores to do."

He laughed, then stretched. "You want to wake Marco, or should I?"

"I'll do it."

Marco's reaction to being awoken at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning was a little worse than Jake's. But when he remembered where we were, he shut up fast.

"Tom's still out?"

"Yeah. He was snoring around ten-thirty last night. We always sleep in on Saturdays, and with the sleeping pills..." Jake trailed off.

"It might be a couple of hours," Marco concluded.

"I could grab us breakfast or something," I offered. "McDonalds should be open."

Jake shook his head. "We can just morph and then eat that way if we need to."

I nodded, but Marco gave him a look. "What about Tom?"

"It's probably better if he doesn't," Jake explained. "I don't want to give his Yeerk any extra strength. To attempt an escape."

I could see Jake's reasoning. "What about water?"

He nodded to the corner. A few sealed bottles of water lay there. "That should be enough for the next day or so."

I noticed Erek in the corner, just watching us. "You might be getting a new roommate soon," I joked.

I could sense his distaste. "Better than the Yeerk dying."

"No argument there."

No matter what Tom's Yeerk had done or what kind of pain he had caused, he was still a sentient creature. While I didn't think he would change if he was living in Erek's head, I also didn't believe that we should kill him if he no longer posed a threat to us.

I headed outside a little later, glad for the fresh air. Ax was feeding, and my own stomach told me that I should be doing that. So, I morphed bird and hunted and ate a few mice before demorphing to my human form. Not the tastiest breakfast I'd ever had, but I was no longer hungry.

Rachel had done the same thing, and we decided to wait behind the window of the shack to see what was going on.

Turned out that we could hear everything, too.

I knew the moment that Tom woke up. I could hear him-well, his Yeerk- freaking out when he saw that he had been taken from his bed and tied up.

Jake and Marco stood in front of him.

"Shut up, Yeerk," Jake told his brother-well, his brother's Yeerk-and to my surprise, he did.

Well, for about a minute.

"What the hell are you talking about, Jake? Have you gone totally crazy?"

I was glad that we were far enough away from the homes in the area that no one would be able to hear us. I recalled that Jake's Yeerk hadn't been much of a screamer, more of a schemer for escaping, but Tom's Yeerk...was an unknown.

Marco was also standing in front of Tom, but I couldn't see his expression. "He told you to shut up, slug."

Aftran and I watched in a mixture of fascination and horror. We knew that Jake and Marco weren't going to physically harm Tom if they could help it. For one thing, Tom couldn't morph, so any major damage would have to be fixed at a hospital. It would draw unnecessary attention to Tom later on. The real Tom. And Tom, tied up in a chair, couldn't exactly do much except yell.

Still, he might try something, and with the added adrenaline boost, it was possible that he could break the ropes or something.

Jake calmly explained that he knew all about the Yeerks and that he knew Tom was one. He left out the part about him being the leader of the Animorphs, or anything about the Andalite Bandits. As far as Tom's Yeerk knew, Jake and Marco were two incredibly smart kids who had learned about the alien invasion, figured out that Yeerks needed to leave their hosts every three days to absorb Kandrona rays, and were going to keep him hostage until the Yeerk starved.

"We have another option for you, though," Jake added, nodding to Erek. "Ask us about it when when you get hungry enough."

Tom's Yeerk wasn't hungry enough to ask just then, apparently. He just screamed and swore for awhile, stopping after making himself hoarse. After a couple of hours, he told Jake that he was hungry.

"Hungry enough to leave my brother?" he asked.

He laughed. It sounded condescending. Fake. "No, Midget. Like, hungry, hungry. Can you get me a sandwich or something?"

Jake shook his head. "I have water if you're thirsty, though."

Realizing the act was up, Tom's Yeerk glared at Jake, but after a few minutes of thought, he decided to take him up on the offer. "Well, at least undo my arms so I can drink."

Even though I couldn't actually see it, I was certain that Marco rolled his eyes.

"Not gonna happen," Marco told him. He walked over to grab one of the water bottles, undid the lid, and held it in front of Tom's face.

Ticked off but not enough to refuse to drink, he held open his mouth for a few seconds. Some of the water spilled down his face, but enough got in for Tom to be able to swallow. The process continued a couple of times, and then, Tom glared at Jake and said, "That's fine."

The rest of the day was spent waiting. Tom tried to escape from the ropes and the chair, especially when Rachel came in to take Marco's place and loosen the ropes, a little. But to no avail.

(You know how much I hated the battles, but I have to admit that even this is kind of anti-climatic,) Aftran commented.

(So far,) I reminded her. (I don't know, I keep expecting things to get worse.)

(Perhaps,) she mused. (But as long as we stick to the plan, I don't think they will. Tom's not morph capable, and he's immobilized. His Yeerk must realize that his time is limited.)

I sighed. (I really hope you're right, Aftran.)

She ended up being right. If the others were expecting a big confrontation, it never happened. By the time night had arrived, Tom's Yeerk must have been closer to the sixty-five hour mark, because he calmly asked what the other option was.

Erek stepped forward and explained, in his matter-of-fact manner, that he was an android who could produce Kandrona rays. As long as Tom's Yeerk resided in him, he could feed on them. He even showed Tom's Yeerk the inside of his head, where the other Yeerk was trapped.

Tom's Yeerk shuddered in repulsion, and let out a few more choice words and threats. But it was clear that he was wavering between the two options. Because there were only two. Starve to death, or live in an android indefinitely.

(I don't know the last time he's fed, but if he's desperate enough to ask about another option, it has to have been at least sixty-five hours. The hunger will only get worse, and he knows this. The longer it takes Tom's Yeerk to decide, the more painful it will be,) Aftran told me.

I could tell that she felt some sympathy for his Yeerk-after all, she was sentient enough to recognize another being's pain-but not enough for her to take control and try to sabotage the mission.

Which would ultimately make me the second Animorph to have her Yeerk starved out of her. I shuddered.

(It does seem like a no brainer,) I told Aftran.

(Yes,) she agreed, (but it means giving up entirely. When I was without a host, I was still in the pool. I could still move around, hear, smell, and speak to my brothers and sisters. With the possible exception of communicating with Erek's old Yeerk, Tom's Yeerk will have none of that.)

(It's still life, Aftran. Besides, I can't feel too sorry for him, given what he's done.)

(Me neither.)

Minutes later, Tom's Yeerk crawled out of his ear. Tom-the real Tom, began sobbing, and I saw Jake hesitate for a moment before putting it to Erek's head.

"Tom, do you want me to kill it?"

My eyebrows went up in shock. This wasn't part of the plan. Had I been in the room, I would have said something. Marco didn't say anything to object to what Jake proposed.

Fortunately, Tom didn't answer, just stared ahead as the tears ran down his face, like he couldn't believe what had happened. Jake put a hand on his brother's shoulder, and with the other hand, pushed the Yeerk against Erek's head, and moments later, the Yeerk's body disappeared into the android's wiring.


	4. Chapter 4

Without waiting, Rachel and I headed inside. Marco and Jake were removing the ropes from Tom, who still had tears streaming down his face. Finally, Tom was able to stand up, and pulled Jake into a massive bear hug. They stayed like that for a little, wrapped in each others arms, both crying. Tom more than Jake, but who could blame him? Finally, Tom let go, and exhaled loudly.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Oh God...thank you."

His voice, I noted, was hoarse. Partly from his Yeerk yelling earlier, but I wondered if it also had to do with being a slave in your mind for the past two years. Aftran had told me that many involuntary hosts lost control over their body after being enslaved for enough time. After they gave up fighting, lack of control often followed.

But Tom didn't seem to be at that point, yet. He could move on his own. Talk. That was something.

I tried to focus my attention on him without acting like I was staring.

"Jake? C-can we go home?" he asked Jake, and the way he spoke, it almost seemed like Tom was the younger brother.

It occurred to me that Tom didn't seem to notice any of us. Sure, he had probably never met Ax, and rarely saw Tobias. And even though he-well, his Yeerk-had talked with me on occasion, I had hardly been a regular presence at Jake's house before becoming an Animorph.

Still. Tom barely rarely registered Marco. Or Rachel. His cousin. Was Jake aware of this?

Jake's face took on the tired look of the leader he'd become. I realized that our job still wasn't finished. Not really.

"Let's sit down, Tom," he said, putting an arm on Tom's shoulder. "We need to talk about what happens next."

"Wait...before you start," I began, glancing at Jake. "Shouldn't we get him something to eat?"

Jake smiled. "Right. I guess you're probably hungry, Tom?" he asked his brother.

Tom nodded, almost shyly. "Starving," he said, again in a hoarse whisper.

"Why don't you all head to my barn?" I asked Jake. "I can grab some food from the fridge, and then we can talk."

"Good idea. Tom? Any preferences?"

Tom shook his head. "Whatever you got," he said, and at Jake's smile, I thought that must be how Tom had sounded before he became a Controller.

It wasn't too far from the shack to my barn. Once everyone got situated, Rachel and I headed to my house to grab some food.

My mom was there, looking surprised but not worried. "Hi, honey! Oh, hi, Rachel," she added, smiling at her. Turning her attention to me, she chided, "I haven't seen you all day."

"Project for school," I explained. "We're taking a break to refuel."

She pulled me into a hug. "All right, all right. I won't keep you."

And she was gone. Rachel and I dug around in the fridge and came up with plenty, along with some snacks from the cabinets. I hoped that Mom wouldn't wonder about the sudden disappearance of so much food, but maybe she'd just chalk it up to my dad.

There was enough to worry about as it was.

We joined everyone at the barn and passed out the food. We all watched Tom eat without trying to look like we were doing so. All of his movements seemed awkward, like he was figuring out how to use his body again. Which, I supposed, he was. Two years of living in your mind as a prisoner had to have an affect on your motor skills.

Aftran watched, too, and I could feel her unease.

(Still want to switch hosts?) I joked.

(Cassie, you know I'd rather stay with you,) she told me, solemnly.

(I know,) I responded. (Tom needs you.)

(Yes, but he has to agree to it, first,) she cautioned.

That was true.

After everyone had finished their food-and had seconds and thirds-we turned to Jake. Maybe it was weak of me, but I was glad that it was his self-appointed responsibility to talk to Tom.

"Tom?" he asked.

Tom, who had been staring off into space, turned sharply in his younger brother's direction. "Yeah?" he asked.

Even his voice sounded broken. Well, I hadn't known Tom all that well beforehand, but the Yeerk in his head probably played him the way he had acted before becoming enslaved. A decent, popular teenager who Jake looked up to, almost to the point of worship. Someone who, I imagined, would sooner protect his younger brother from bullies than do anything to bully him. A little like how Jake had been with Tobias, back before he became a nothlit.

This Tom...maybe it was still the shock, but he seemed to be so changed. So much younger, so bewildered by everything. And he hadn't even seen Ax yet. As far as he knew, we were just human kids with a robot friend who had figured out his Yeerk's secret. Not that we were the threat behind the Yeerk invasion.

Jake put his hand on Tom's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Tom shrugged, and hunched over. I thought that he might start crying again, and I wanted to say something, to reassure him, but it wasn't my place. Jake had to take the lead here.

"We can't go home, yet. Soon, though," Jake told Tom. "And, don't worry, our parents won't think we're missing or anything. Erek...the android you met...he knows other androids who will act as us. For now. They do a pretty good job."

"Yeah, last time they had to play us, I got the exact same grade on my English paper as I would have if I wrote it," Marco chimed in.

Tom kind of laughed. "It's unreal."

Jake did a mix of a laugh and a sigh. "It's about to become even more so."

Tom raised his eyebrows, but nodded at Jake to begin.

Keeping an arm around his brother's shoulder, Jake told him everything.

Well, not EVERYTHING. He kept it to the basics. Elfangor had arrived nearly two years ago, dying. Told us about the Yeerks and gave us the power to morph. We had figured out that The Sharing was a front, thanks in part to Tom's attempt to send Jake a message. I could feel Tom relax as he learned that his attempt at fighting had paid off. About the first Yeerk Pool battle, and how Tom had unwittingly saved Jake. That Tobias had been trapped in hawk form on that night, but now had his morphing powers back. How we had fought the Yeerks since then, winning occasionally, mostly just succeeding on being a pain to Visser Three. Which was, I supposed, its own kind of victory.

I noted that Jake skipped out on the part about his own infestation. Not a huge surprise. He probably figured that Tom couldn't handle that now. Much less that Jake's Yeerk had been Temrash 114/252. But Tom had already known that the Yeerks at the hospital where the governor was to be infested at had died. And he probably figured from that news, before, that Temrash had been one of them.

Finally, Jake turned to me. "Why don't you tell him about your encounter with Aftran?" he asked.

Another surprise...but I guessed that Jake thought it was my story to tell.

I nodded. "After one battle, I announced that I had had enough. I told them that I was quitting. They didn't take it well. There was a little girl whose Yeerk had been the sister of one of the Yeerks I had killed in battle. He had a Hork-Bajir host. She tracked me down in the woods. Long story short-we both saved each others' lives. Her name was Aftran Nine-Four-Two. She made me realize that Yeerks were individuals, and I convinced her to free her host and never take another one."

It was a very abbreviated version of what had happened, but I was also testing the waters to see if Tom knew anything about her. Her interrogation was supposed to be big news, along with her execution. But I hadn't seen Tom at the Yeerk Pool that day.

Tom nodded slowly. "My old Yeerk hated her. Called her a traitor. She organized the Peace Movement after freeing her host?"

Aftran laughed in my mind. (Soon, they'll be calling me the founder! I merely joined the movement, and worked for peace, for more of my fellow Yeerks to join. My claim to fame would have been freeing Karen and dying for it.)

"She was in the movement, yes," I told Tom. "Do you...did you hear about her capture by Visser Three?"

Tom nodded. "My Yeerk wasn't there when Visser Three wanted to interrogate her, but I heard the stories. The Andalite bandits-you guys-swooped in and saved her. Literally," he added, grinning a little. "One of you had a bird morph."

I smiled. "That was me. I saved Aftran."

"He was so angry," Tom told me, shuddering. The smile completely gone. "I don't think he realized until then that she had been working with the Andalite Bandits."

"Well, we were allies. By the time that she decided to free Karen-her host-she and I had reached an understanding. And with the information she had, we needed to free her."

"But she died, right? Unless she's the other Yeerk in the android?"

I shook my head. "Erek can generate Kandrona rays without a Yeerk being inside him. He visits for a couple of hours while I put Aftran in some water and she feeds." I took a deep breath. "She's in me, now."

Tom's eyes shot up in shock.

He turned to Jake. "Midget?"

"Yeah. For the past few days," Jake said, simply.

"She's really kind. I mean, I've never had another Yeerk in my head, but I don't think she's anything like the ones you've had," I told Tom.

I wanted to say more-that she didn't take control or go through my memories, but both of these wouldn't be the case for Tom if he agreed to Aftran taking up residence in his head. Not that she would do so unnecessarily, but she would be playing the part of his old Yeerk, and that meant going through his mind for information, and total control when they were at The Sharing and the Yeerk Pool.

(I'd give him whatever freedom I could,) Aftran murmured to me. (And privacy.)

So, Tom just nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

Jake spoke now, squeezing Tom's hand. "Right. So, since your old Yeerk is gone, we need to think about what to do next. The way we see it, there are two options to avoid causing any major problems."

Tom turned to him, looking scared. "Okay. What are those?"

"The first is living with the Hork-Bajir. We'd have to stage your death, or at least disappearance. Mom and Dad can't know anything about what happened. The Yeerks...they still want a secret invasion, instead of an all out war. And there are too many people on the inside to prevent us from being believed if we went public. It's just too risky."

"Would I see you again?" Tom asked, voice breaking a little.

Jake wrapped an arm around his older brother's shoulder. "Definitely. I'd check in on you all the time. We'd make sure you had enough food and stuff. And the Hork-Bajir...they're really nice. They'd welcome you."

Tom nodded, slowly. "What's the second choice?"

Jake looked at me. "Aftran. She'd infest you...play your old Yeerk."

Tom gasped at this, almost jumping up. Was he going to bolt? But no. His shoulders deflated, and his face changed. He looked defeated. Like we had told him we were going to put his old Yeerk back in his head now.

I felt that I had to say something. "Tom, she's _nothing_ like the other Yeerks you've had. I mean, for one thing, she's part of the Peace Movement. She would have died to protect us, as well as the other Yeerks there. They don't believe in involuntary hosts. They-"

I broke off as I felt Aftran nudge at my mind. (Could I speak to him?)

I felt immediate relief. I'd been rambling, sort of, not even paying attention to either Tom or what I was saying. Aftran could make a better case for herself.

(Of course.)

Aftran didn't take full control. Just of my voice and my face. "Tom, it's Aftran," she softly. "Cassie's given me permission to talk to you directly."

I realized that Tom was shaking now, and Jake had both arms wrapped around him, holding him like a small child. I could feel Aftran's pain, her belief that since her species had done this to him, she was partly responsible.

(No, Aftran, you didn't do this,) I told her, in an attempt of reassurance.

(Not to Tom. But I certainly didn't treat my hosts well. This could have been me, had they assigned me Tom instead of Karen,) she told me.

I wanted to tell her that she couldn't have been that bad, that she'd changed and tried to make up for what she did. I didn't have to, though. She felt my emotions, felt what I was unable to articulate, even to her.

(Thank you, Cassie.)

Tom was rocking back and forth now, but he stared at me. At Aftran. I hoped that meant he would try to listen to her.

"Tom, if you let me in your head, I promise that it will be nothing like it was before," she told him, and I could feel her sincerity through my voice. I hoped Tom could hear it, too. "I will give you control whenever possible. I won't go through your memory unless it's essential for keeping our cover. Certainly not for...for fun." At this, I could see Tom cringe and nod again, probably recalling when his Yeerks had done just that. I felt more control slip away from me as Aftran stood up and walked toward him so that our face was only inches from his. She reached out and gently took his hand.

I was watching in a corner of my mind as she reached out to Tom. I didn't mind. If Aftran needed the full use of my body for a little while to help Tom see that she wouldn't hurt him, I could hardly object.

"I will work to keep you and your family safe. All of you," she added, turning to the rest of us. I realized that I had forgotten they were in the room.

"I'm-I'm scared," Tom whispered. "I want to believe her. I guess she's not that bad if Cassie's letting her in her head?"

(Aftran,) I spoke softly. (Can I have control back? I want to talk to Tom.)

(Of course. Thank you, Cassie.)

"It's Cassie, now." I took a deep breath. Jake was still sitting close to Tom, an arm wrapped around his shoulder, but I didn't think he was doing this to prevent me or Aftran from reaching him physically. I stood up and walked the few feet over to me. Took his hand, which felt a little strange at first, but I could feel Aftran's nonverbal encouragement, so I went with it. I gently took his hand, even though it felt too intimate for someone who I didn't know all that well. But it seemed like the right thing to do.

"I had Aftran in my head twice," I told Tom. "The first time was to let Karen speak on her own. It was reckless of me. The first time, Aftran took control. Went through my memories. She didn't betray us, though, and she returned to Karen. We made the agreement Jake told you about. I nearly trapped myself as a caterpillar in exchange for Karen's freedom."

"What happened the second time?" Tom asked me, squeezing my hand.

"The second time was after I saved her. I wanted to talk to her, to thank her for everything she had done for me and my friends." I paused, and Tom nodded. "And she wanted me to kill her. Spare her the pain of Kandrona starvation." I could feel my voice break. Tears start to form. "That was the only thing she wanted."

"But you didn't kill her," Tom told me.

I shook my head. "We had a meeting. Jake thought of her becoming a nothlit, but Erek suggested either giving her Kandrona rays through him and letting her stay in me-which I wanted-or saving you and using Aftran as sort of a...liaison."

Tom was quiet for awhile. "Can I have the night to think about it?"

I turned to Jake, who nodded. "Sure."

Erek spoke up. "I'll notify the others that they're no longer needed, if you're going back home?"

Erek spoke up. "I'll notify the others that they're no longer needed, if you're going back home?"

Tom turned to Erek. "Can you get someone play me for tonight? They will get suspicious if my old Yeerk doesn't show up to feed. Tonight's the absolute longest he could have survived."

Erek smiled at Tom. "Oh, that's already been taking care of. The person playing you had just left the Yeerk Pool."

Tom let out a deep breath. "Thanks."

Things broke up then. Rachel gave Tom an awkward hug, relief at him no longer being a slave overtaking the teen awkward factor of hugging your male cousin who was older than you. Marco and Tom did a sort of fist bump. Tobias and Ax stayed in the background, as neither had really known Tom and probably didn't know what to say.

I gave Tom's hand a squeeze. "Tom, whatever you choose, we'll make it work out," I told him, quietly.

He nodded at me, and managed a half smile.

I didn't know if this was a promise we could keep, but it seemed like an assurance I had to give. Jake nodded and smiled at me, reassuringly. Maybe he thought we had a good chance of Tom saying yes to Aftran after some sleep. And, I guessed, more talking with his brother.

I was relieved when everyone left. The past couple of days had been exhausting, and I couldn't wait to clean up the remainder of the food and get into bed. There weren't any dishes to do-we'd used paper plates and plastic utensils-but the rest of it still had to be put away. By the time that was finished, I barely had enough energy to change into PJs and brush my teeth.

A/N: If you've read this far, please take an extra few minutes to leave a review.


	5. Chapter 5

My bed felt especially comfortable that night. Even though I hadn't needed to morph or go into battle, I felt as drained as I would have had we done just that. At the back of my mind was the knowledge that if Tom agreed, I'd be saying goodbye to Aftran-at least in my head-permanently. She'd been great company for the past few days, but it was more than just that. We had become friends. Good friends.

I honestly hoped that what she would have with Tom-if he agreed-would be like that. It was clear that Tom's mind had been damaged, and he'd need help just managing with everyday life. I couldn't even begin to imagine what he had gone through. Jake hadn't been himself for weeks after Temrash had infested him, and that had only been for three days. Living over a year with that...and then another Yeerk, who may have been even worse. All while knowing that no one saw any difference, that you were trapped in your head. I hoped that Aftran could show Tom a new way to think of Yeerk control. That she could heal him.

(I'll do my best, Cassie,) she promised me. (If he says yes.)

Jake called my house around mid morning, when we were eating breakfast.

"Cassie?" My mom said. "It's Jake."

"Oh, okay, thanks." I stood up, turning away from my half-eaten bowl of cereal, and walked over to the phone. "Hello?"

I wasn't overly worried about my parents overhearing what we were talking about. We had all long since mastered the art of speaking in a type of code, in case our phone lines were being tracked. Anything that was related to the Yeerks became very vague. Not to mention, in school, we kept to our old groups. When you're worried about aliens tracking your phone lines, what your parents may be thinking when you're talking to a potential boyfriend seems like nothing.

"Hey, Cassie. Can you come over this morning to work on the assignment?"

"The group one?" I asked, more for my parents' benefit than Jake's. I suspected that my parents had guessed about my feelings for Jake, and I want to give them an excuse to tease me about working on some kind of school assignment with just him. Or worse, try to forbid it in case it should turn into a teen make-out session. "The one your brother might help us with?"

I could hear Aftran giggle in my head.

(Aftran!) I complained half-heartedly.

(Sorry, Cassie,) she said seriously, before letting forth another peal of laughter.

I inwardly rolled my eyes at her, and she responded with the image of a Yeerk sticking out a large tongue, nearly resulting in me laughing out loud.

"Yeah," Jake was saying, "he's going to check and see if he still has his notes from a couple of years ago."

I turned to my parents. "Jake wants me and Rachel to meet him at his house to work on our History project after breakfast. That okay?"

My parents both nodded. "Don't work too hard, honey," Mom chided. "You were cleaning the barn all day, and then doing your homework. I know how seriously you take your grades, but remember to give yourself some time to relax."

"I'll try to take some time to myself today," I promised. Turning back to the phone, I said, "I'll be there in an hour."

"Great. See you then."

I finished my breakfast and turned to my parents. "I should be home later this afternoon," I told them.

"Call if you're not going to make it for dinner," my mom told me. "You need any money for snacks?"

I shook my head. "Thanks, though."

I morphed osprey for the trip to Jake's house. I suppose that we could have walked or biked, but Aftran loved flying as much as I did.

(Aftran? You want to take control for the trip?) I offered.

(Are you certain?) she asked me, and I could feel her joy at the idea of controlling the bird morph.

(Sure, go ahead.) I sent her a mental grin, which she returned.

I felt control slip from me as Aftran took over, but immediately recognized her level of control over me as what many Yeerks referred to as "loose control", or even "gentle control". Aftran had told me about this during her first day back in my head, explaining that she had learned about it in the Peace Movement. A Yeerk who chose to apply this level of control over their host was still the one operating the body, but their hold on the host's mind was such that a host could "override" the Yeerk if they chose.

(Is that the opposite of when a Yeerk lets their host be in control?) I had asked Aftran.

"Loose control" also meant that the host had their regular "feel" over their body. If the host was hungry or had other injuries, they would feel the discomfort as much as the Yeerk. When Aftran had first infested me, after going without much food for over a day, I had felt considerable hunger. My hunger had become hers. I also knew, or suspected, that when Temrash had infested Jake and been injured (in morph) while trying to escape, Jake hadn't felt much of the physical pain.

"Loose control" was what Aftran used after I finished morphing to the bird and we began to fly. Even as she flew, I could feel-and enjoy-the sensation of flying as much as I could had I been in control. I tried not to think that it would probably be the last time we would ever fly together. I could feel her joy as we made the trip to Jake's house. We didn't say much during the trip. I simply sat quietly in the back of my mind, trying to enjoy the feel of flying and not think about the very real possibility of losing Aftran for good.

I tried not to think that it would probably be the last time we would ever fly together. I could feel her joy as we made the trip to Jake's house. We didn't say much during the trip. I simply sat quietly in the back of my mind, trying to enjoy the feel of flying and not think about the very real possibility of losing Aftran for good.

At least, losing the mind to mind link that we shared while I was her host.

I could still understand the pain so many involuntary Controllers went through. The sense of violation as the Yeerk took over your body and searched your mind, leaving no memory unlocked. I also knew that many Yeerks-perhaps, even Aftran, at one point-had misused this power. Had mistreated their hosts and lorded their control over them, in an attempt to break them. That was ultimately what we and the Peace Movement were fighting to end, after all. The force infestation of sentient creatures, the idea that all other species were merely potential hosts for the Yeerks to utilize for their own personal benefit.

That was all wrong, and we had to end it.

But Yeerks, in and of themselves, were not evil. Not was infestation, by itself. It was the taking that was wrong. The seizing control of someone who didn't want you there. The invasion of the body and the memories. The removal of the host's dreams and life from them.

It didn't have to be that way. Humans and Yeerks could coexist. There could be a symbiotic relationship, where humans and Yeerks both benefited. Maybe not for every human and every Yeerk. I knew that with the way things were going now, few humans would ever consent to a Yeerk in their head. Even if the Yeerks hadn't invaded, the empire hadn't existed, many humans-even the majority-would say no to infestation. At first. Maybe, they would have come around.

After all, the time that Aftran had been in my head had been the happiest that I had felt since the beginning of the invasion. She had only taken control with my permission. Had only opened the memories I had offered to her in this time. Aftran had respected me completely. And, even more than when she had infested me months earlier, I felt that she knew me. Understood me. Completely accepted me. I had no secrets from her.

I would be giving this up. For good.

But if Aftran was able to help me, how much more could she help heal Tom.

If he allowed it.

It would be worth saying goodbye to her if Tom's mind could be healed, and if his cover could be maintained, through Aftran.

But I'd still miss her.

Too soon, we arrived at Jake's house. Aftran demorphed, and then handed back control over to me.

(Ready?) she asked me.

(I think so.)

Pausing for just a minute to inhale deeply, I rang the doorbell, and Rachel answered. "Hey," she greeted, smiling.

Jake stood behind her, also smiling. "Come on in, Cassie. My parents are out. We're meeting in the kitchen."

I stepped inside. I saw that I was the last one to arrive. Everyone else was sitting around the kitchen table, Tobias and Ax in their human morphs. Tobias looked uncomfortable, the way he often did when he morphed human. Squinting, moving his arms as though thinking they were still wings. The body that he had lived in for thirteen years no longer felt like his anymore. I noticed him keeping an eye on the clock. Ax, by contrast, always seemed more at ease in his human morph, despite his inability to handle himself around food.

"Okay, I'm gonna let Tom speak, now," Jake said, once we had all quieted down.

Tom still looked pale, but I guessed that after some sleep and spending time talking with Jake about what had happened, he was more or less able to function. He wasn't hunched over, the way he had been the night before, but I could tell that he was far from at ease.

"Jake and I talked last night. A lot." He turned to Jake, almost uncertain, and Jake placed his arm around Tom's shoulder, protectively. Tom continued. "I want to give Aftran a try, but there are a few things I need from her. Um, Cassie? She's in your head right now?"

"Yes, Tom," I told him, trying to smile reassuringly.

"C-can I talk to her directly?"

"Sure."

(Good luck,) I told her.

(I'll need it,) she replied.

I felt control of my voice and face transfer over to Aftran. "It's me, Aftran. Hello, Tom."

Tom nodded and forced a smile. "Hi. Um, okay, so, here's what Jake and I were talking about. And I think it's reasonable so..."

Aftran nodded. "Of course. Go ahead, Tom," she said, encouragingly.

"Obviously, I want full control whenever possible. I mean, I get that you'll need it for Sharing meetings and Yeerk stuff and when we're at the Yeerk Pool." He kind of shuddered at this, and Jake squeezed his shoulder. Tom relaxed a little at the touch. "But when it's not necessary, I want to be in charge of my body."

"Of course. I promise not to take control unless it's absolutely necessary for our cover," Aftran agreed. "What else?"

"Next thing is my memories. I know you'll need to use them to figure out what my old Yeerk was like and to play his part when you have to. Just...no digging around without my permission. No replaying stuff for fun. I want some privacy," he told her, and I saw him make his hands into fists before stopping, suddenly. He flushed.

Aftran nodded again. I could feel her pain at seeing him like this, and and anxiety, as well, at the knowledge that she would have to deal with this when in his head. It would be difficult for her. But she kept my face clear of these emotions, trying to look kind and empathetic.

"I won't do anything to unnecessarily invade your privacy, and I certainly won't misuse this privilege of being able to view your thoughts, Tom," she promised.

Tom swallowed and looked down at the floor. "I probably should have started with this. I want it to be on a trial basis. Like, maybe a month. I want to see what it's like to live with you before I decide for sure." He looked up at us. Well, at Aftran. "I-I need to know that being free is still an option even after you go into my head."

Before Aftran could say anything, Jake spoke up. "I'm in agreement with this. If it comes down to faking Tom's death, we can do it as easily in a month or so as right now."

So, Aftran agreed. "If you're unhappy in a month's time, or however long you wish, I promise to leave and not return."

(Jake will probably make me go nothlit if that happens,) Aftran mused. (Which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Better than death. But I...I don't want to lose my body for good.)

(We'll deal with that if it happens,) I promised her. (You know that, as far as I'm concerned, you can stay in me as long as you want.)

(Thank you, Cassie.)

"The next thing...the last thing. I know you're going to leave every three days to go to the Yeerk Pool to feed. In addition to that, every three days, I want you to leave my head for a couple of hours. So I can check in with Jake. You know, talk to him without you."

"So I can know he's doing okay," Jake explained. "And so we can reconnect."

"Right. So, Aftran?" he asked her.

Aftran smiled. "I'm happy to leave your head every three days, or more often, if you should want that, so you and your brother can touch base. For as long as you need. That is, both in terms of hours and as long as I am in your head. I promise."

Tom and Jake exchanged looks at each other.

"Is there anything else?" Aftran asked them.

They shook their heads.

"Okay, I guess then I agree." Tom stood up, looking a little sick. "Better do it now, before I chicken out."

"Tom, you're incredibly brave," Aftran told him, placing my hand in his, and giving it a brief squeeze. "All right."

I thought Marco was going to say, "Let's do this" or even "This is insane", but he had the sense to stay quiet. For once.

I stood up and walked towards Tom, stopping as my ear was mere inches away from his. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

I could feel Aftran begin to disengage from me.

(Thank you, Cassie, for everything. I'll miss you.)

(I'll miss you, too, Aftran,) I murmured.

I heard Tom take a deep breath, then let it out. Could see, out of the corner of my eye, Jake grab his hand and squeeze it in reassurance. He began murmuring to Tom, probably letting him know that it would be okay.

I felt Aftran's body leave my ear and watched as it finished its journey into Tom's. I stayed where I was, watching as he stood, eyes squeezed shut, one hand clenched into a fist, and the other squeezing Jake's for dear life. I could feel my own heart racing.

At last, it was finished. I saw Tom's body relax, and then resume a rather tense expression. I guessed that Aftran had withdrawn control as soon as she finished connecting with Tom's brain.

"Tom?" Jake and I asked at the same time.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's still me. Tom. Aftran's here, too."

"You okay?" Jake asked, still holding Tom's hand.

He took a deep breath and looked around the room. "I think so. It's gonna take some getting used to."

I let out a sigh of relief. At least Tom wasn't shaking or in tears or anything like that. I knew this had to be hard for him, but I also knew that Aftran would do whatever she could to make it easier on him.

"Well...I guess that's it, then," Jake said, a minute later.

So, we all got up. I turned to Tom. "You sure you're okay?" I asked him.

He kind of smiled and shrugged. "Like I said. Gonna take some time."

I left the house with everyone else, quietly. Lonely. Fully aware that Aftran was no longer in my head-and would probably never be, again.

But if it helped Tom...


	6. Chapter 6

Over the month that followed that fateful weekend, it we didn't receive news that Visser Three had any new plans regarding the takeover of humanity. Marco guessed, rather lightheartedly, that between the loss of Aftran and the complete failure of the chemical to take away free will, he was laying low for the time being.

Aftran, while in the pool, had heard rumors that Visser One was back on the scene, but she was the first to admit that this was all they were. While we were keeping our eyes open for any news-especially Marco, whose mom was the visser's involuntary host-we weren't about to go into battle morphs and storm every Sharing meeting in the hopes of encountering her there.

After nearly a year and a half of being an Animorph, that was what my life had become. A series of battles and missions, followed by a brief reprieve. We could usually count on major Sharing events to occur for us to sabotage on weekends because, as Aftran had pointed out, most of their human hosts still had to attend school or jobs. While the Hork-Bajir and Taxxons didn't have this cover to maintain, the Yeerk invasion was still one of stealth, and the Yeerks needed human hosts to be available for these events. So, we had some sense of predictability, and enough time off from the invasion to attend school and do our homework.

Even on the "off" cycles, we still made it a habit of meeting at my barn at least once a week. Mostly, to check in, but also to acquire some new animals my family was in the process of rehabilitating. You could never have too many morphs-or get enough practice with them.

Tom and Aftran didn't attend to the meetings regularly. I wasn't sure if they would, since Tom wasn't an Animorph, and I knew that Jake didn't want him to receive the morphing power right now. He had said that it was too much of a security risk, but I suspected that he was trying to protect Tom from having to fight. Especially since he was still recovering from having been an involuntary host for two years. It was possible that he would come more, with Aftran, if there was anything to report, but right now, things were at a rare lull. When asked about how he was doing, Tom simply said that things were getting better.

Anyway, a month after Tom and Aftran had agreed to team up for a trial period, Jake lingered behind after one of these meetings, hovering by the barn door as I straightened up the barn.

"Hey," he told me. "Want some help?"

"Sure," I replied.

There was a silence for a minute, and I handed Jake a hairbrush. "For the horses," I told him.

It was the safest chore to trust him with. He grinned a little, and took it before heading into one of the stalls.

"He's doing a lot better," Jake said, breaking the quiet.

"Oh, yeah?"

I saw his head go up and down in a nod. "He still gets nightmares. He told me that when Aftran left his head last, and we got to talk. He says that Aftran has to take control until he remembers where he is, and who he's with."

I couldn't tell what Jake thought about this.

"I guess she's afraid that he'll wake you guys up. Especially your parents?" I asked, even though I was fairly certain I knew that was the reason.

A shrug. "Probably. Thing is, Tom says he doesn't mind so much, now. I guess he's gotten used to it, and Aftran talks him through it until he's...until he remembers where he is and who's in his head," Jake finished.

"She did that with me," I admitted. "The second night she was in my head. I had a nightmare about Erek's programming not working, and her dying from Kandrona starvation. There was other stuff, too. That you get in nightmares." I shuddered, still remembering the dream. "It took me a few minutes to calm down."

What I didn't say was that if waking up from a nightmare had been hard for me, I couldn't even imagine what it was like for Tom.

The things we deal with on a regular basis...you can't ever really get used to them. But having a cruel alien in your head who knows your greatest fears and can-and did-utilize them you break your spirit...that was something else entirely.

Jake inhaled, then exhaled. "Yeah. And there are times when we're with my parents. I just know Aftran's in control. I can tell when she has to take over for Tom. But it's happening less."

"Then, he's getting better. Not overnight, but you can see there's a difference?" I asked Jake.

There was a pause, and I hear the brush moving against the horse's mane. Finally, he spoke up. "Yeah. Gonna take awhile, though. If he lets her stay. I think he will, but..." Jake shrugged. "He seems relieved when she leaves him when I'm there. We've been doing it every other day, for now. And when she comes back, he's used to that, too. Except maybe losing control little by little."

"They can't help that part," I reminded Jake. "But she gives him control again afterwards?"

"Yeah," Jake confirmed. "Well, probably not at the Yeerk Pool, or not right away. But when it's just us, all the time."

I nodded. "Are you okay?"

Jake gave me a small smile. "Before Aftran, I would have said that there were no good Yeerks. That I was in this to free Tom from any kind of Yeerk infestation. But I can see that Aftran's been helping him. A lot."

I smiled a little at the praise. Even though he was giving the credit to Aftran, if we hadn't made our deal, Tom would still belong to Gariss.

"He was a slave inside his head for over two years. Sounds like his Yeerks were pretty cruel. That's going to leave a mark."

"Yeah. He says they were awful. I knew a little about what Temrash was like firsthand. Sounds like the second was worse."

"Have you told him about that?"

"No. I think I will, at some point. But not right away."

I nodded, and Jake didn't say anything else for awhile.

Finally, I spoke up again. "Do you know when he's going to decide if he wants this to be permanent? I mean, until the end of the war," I added.

It sounded like they were going to stay together. There had been a heaviness inside me ever since Aftran left me that I couldn't ignore, and about Tom being comfortable with Aftran seemed to add another pound to the weight.

I knew that it was a little selfish of me. And I did want the best for Tom. But I also missed Aftran.

"Probably in a couple of weeks. We'll let you know. All of you." He glanced at his watch. "I should get going. Homework and...you know."

"Okay, see you at school."

He reached out and gave me a brief hug. "Thanks," he murmured. "For making this possible."

Then, he was gone.

Six weeks after Aftran infested Tom, Jake called my house. "Can you come over in an hour?" he asked me.

"Sure," I told him.

I was dying to ask if everything was okay, but we were still very careful around the phone, and I would find out soon enough. I morphed osprey to get there faster, and when I arrived, Jake opened the door.

"Come on in. Everyone else is here," he said.

He was smiling. Widely. That seemed like a good sign.

I took a seat at the table and waited to hear what Tom had decided. I watched as Aftran left his ear, and he held her in his hand for a minute before carefully placed her in the glass of water. No disgust or hatred seemed to show on his face. If anything, he seemed overly protective of her. The way he watched to make sure the glass didn't fall...the way he looked at Aftran.

That struck me as a good sign.

"Without further ado, I'll give the floor over to Tom," Jake said, nodding towards his brother.

Tom smiled-no, grinned-at us. "Gonna keep it short and sweet. I'm letting Aftran stay in me. At least, until you and the Peace Movement can kick the empire's butt. And if anyone can do it, I know that Midget can." He gave Jake a light punch on the arm. "I needed more time to decide than I thought, but I guess that's because of the whole magnitude of the thing. You know? Well, I mean, none of you have been Controllers, except Cassie..."

We all nodded, and voiced our agreement.

"So, anyway. As you know, we made up a bunch of rules before, like Aftran wouldn't go digging through my thoughts without a good reason or without my permission, I'd get control whenever possible, and she'd leave me every three days so I could talk to Jake on my own. And we've been doing that."

"Sometimes, it's daily," Jake said, smiling.

"Yeah, and it's been great to reconnect with Midget again, after the past couple of years," Tom said, putting an arm around his brother's shoulder. "They haven't been easy for either of us. For any of you, either."

"You've had it the worst, though," Rachel told him. "And Jake tried to save you as soon as we knew. But after that..."

Tom nodded his head, and I could see his face cloud over a little. "Too risky. I get it. And I know that if it wasn't for Aftran, it wouldn't be possible now."

"It was the reason I fought," Jake said, quietly. "And every day that you were a slave to that slug...it felt like I had failed you."

Tom stood up from the table and pulled Jake into a fierce hug. "Never. Don't say that. Try not to even think it, okay?"

Jake nodded as he squeezed back, hard. I could see his knuckles turning white.

After a few minutes, he broke the hug, and they sat back down.

"So, anyway, Aftran's staying in my head. At least until you guys win. After that..." He shrugged.

"Let's take things one battle at a time," Marco suggested, giving Tom a gentle punch on the arm. "Focus on that for now."

The fact was, I didn't think Jake would be too happy about Aftran staying in Tom's head permanently, regardless of his newfound opinion that she was a good Yeerk who was clearly helping Tom. I couldn't blame him. If we won, I hoped that the Peace Movement would still be around, and voluntary infestation would be allowed, if highly regulated. I also knew that I was the only one of the group who held this viewpoint.

They probably still wanted Aftran to become a nothlit, eventually. But we still had a lot to do before we could declare victory.

Most days, we were happy just to make it out of battle alive and having done any damage to the Yeerk empire.

"Definitely," Rachel was saying. "In the meantime...I think we should make this alliance official."

"With cinnamon buns?" Ax asked, hopefully. "Bunzzz?"

Jake laughed. "Sure, as long as you save some of them for us, this time."

"Seeing as this is a celebration," I began, "we should really have some kind of a feast. Which means lots of different food." I glanced at Ax conspiratorially. "And lots of cinnamon buns."

"Lots and lots of buns!" He agreed, even clapping his hands. "Buns-zah!"

Tom grinned. "Sounds good. My treat, okay?" At Jake's face, which he probably knew looked like he was going to object, Tom held up his hands. "Hey, you guys freed me. And besides, it's not like I've had much chance over the last two years to decide how to spend my money."

"Well, if you insist..."

"I do. Just give me a minute to get my wallet."

So, we waited and made small talk while Tom went upstairs to find his cash. He emerged a few minutes later, and as we made our way to the door, he pulled me aside.

"Hey, Cassie," he said, speaking quietly as we walked a little apart from the others.

I froze, wondering if Aftran had said something about how Jake and I were kind of together. Very kind of.

"Yeah?"

"Aftran says to tell you that she misses you. And thank you, of course. For everything."

I smiled at him. "I miss her, too. And you're welcome. And thank her for me."

Tom nodded. "You know, we've been thinking."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"If you want to talk to her in your head, and I got the sense from her that she thinks you might...Jake can give you a call on some of the days that we get some time together. She wouldn't have to stay in the class of water for those couple of hours."

My heart skipped a beat. "Really? You're serious?"

"Sure. I already spoke to Jake about it. He is cool with it." Tom paused. "So...What do you think?"

I practically grinned. "That would be great. Thank you!"

The weight that had been inside of me since Aftran had left...the one that I had fought hard to ignore...suddenly disappeared, and was replaced by unexpected and lightness.

The end

A/N number 1: If you've read this far and enjoyed the story, please take a few minutes to leave your feedback.

A/N number 2: Even though I told this story from Cassie's point of view, Tom has his own version to tell. As I cannot seem to post links, please visit my author page and read "The Alliance: Tom's Story".


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